Event honors Solano County children who died in 2012

"To all the children whose lives have been cut short, may your souls rest in perfect peace. Amen."

That was one of several wishes planted at the Children's Garden of Hope on Friday at the Health and Social Services building in Fairfield on Children's Memorial Flag Day.

A group of county representatives gathered at the garden to honor the 22 children who died in 2012. Of those, 15 were due to being premature, three were cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, two were 17-year-old boys who died from gunshot wounds and two were 16-year old girls died in auto accidents.

While the number of child deaths are up from the 14 who died in 2011, Friday's ceremony was the first time since its inception eight years ago that none died at the hands of their parents or caregivers. The deaths in 2011 included one as a result of abuse or neglect.

"It's not something we enjoy doing every year," said Carolyn Wold, Family Violence Prevention officer, during the ceremony. "I would like to have a year with no child deaths. That's our goal."

"Anytime we lose a child, it very heartbreaking," said Nancy Calvo, director of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health. "I couldn't think of just one child, I think of all 22."

Maintained by the Master Gardeners, the garden is there to remember the children who died in Solano County.

Solano County Supervisor Linda Seifert said ceremonies like this are an opportunity for the community to renew its commitment to be advocates for all children.

"We raise the flag to honor those children's lives who were cut short," Seifert said. "Our work is truly not done."

She added that the county, in partnership with nonprofit groups, continues to fight for children.

It's those partnerships that help families find the right resources for help.

"Solano County has been recognized for being the most collaborative with nonprofits," Wold explained. "We figured out early on that, even with great departments, we needed the help of the nonprofits.

"Now working together is just natural. The real beneficiaries are the families we serve."

Wold explained that when a family would seek help, certain departments would give them the information and then send them on their way. That has since changed.

"We now have that warm hand-off," she said. "We make those calls for them and follow up. We can't be the end-all, be-all of providing services. But we do have the resources and families feel better receiving those services in their own community."

For more information, call the Solano County Office of Family Violence Prevention at 784-7789, or the Child Abuse Prevention Council at 421-7229.